Murray scooped the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award for a record-breaking third time on Sunday night (18 December). He also ended the year as world number one, following victories at Wimbledon, the Olympics and at the ATP World Tour Finals in November.

Because of this, his PR and comms strategy will "evolve" in 2017 as his off-court commitments intensify, said Gentry, who handles all Murray's PR and media activity via 77, a sports management company he helped set up with the Scot and business advisor Gawain Davies three years ago.

"As Andy is in such rude health, our PR and marketing activity will become even more strategic next year," said Gentry, who has also worked at PR firm Hill & Knowlton.

"Any PR or brand work must fit in around Andy's intense training and tournament schedule. He’s on the road for about 40 weeks per year, so pinning him down is a skill in itself."

Murray boasts a number of long-standing partnerships, including a racquet deal with Head and a clothing deal with US sports clothing brand Under Armour.

According to Gentry, several new brand partnerships are expected next year, but these have to fit in with the "Murray image".

"The brand needs to be right and the deal needs to be right, so we are therefore quite right to be choosy," said Gentry.

Murray will kick off 2017 at the Australian Open, a tournament that he has been runner-up in five times, including this year and 2015.